REGIONAL ELECTION PREVIEW: UNITED RUSSIA AIMS TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 000489 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM RS SUBJECT: REGIONAL ELECTION PREVIEW: UNITED RUSSIA AIMS TO LIMIT COMMUNIST GAINS REF: A. MOSCOW 290 ¶B. MOSCOW 2008 3743 ¶C. MOSCOW 2008 3754 ¶D. MOSCOW 472 ¶E. YEKATERINBURG 7 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Despite party infighting and some notable defections, United Russia is expected to win in all nine regions holding March 1 parliamentary elections. The Communist Party has campaigned vigorously to make the election a referendum on United Russia's handling of the economic crisis, which experts believe will give the Communists a modest boost at the polls. Communists and other observers expect electoral fraud to mask actual voter discontent with the ruling party, with the Communists preemptively applying for rallies protesting the electoral outcomes. In response, United Russia and Just Russia have campaigned widely to stanch the potential electoral damage to the regime. All four State Duma parties are on the ballots of all nine regions, and Patriots of Russia registered in three regions. Yabloko, forced by debt to abandon region-wide ambitions, registered only in isolated municipal elections. End Summary. Duma Parties Register, Debts Force Yabloko to Sit Out -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) March 1 regional parliamentary elections will be held in Tatarstan, Volgograd, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, Khakassia, Arkhangelsk, Bryansk, Vladimir, and Nenets Autonomous Region. More than 3,200 electoral campaigns of different levels (including local referenda) will take place in 77 subjects of the Russian Federation, and the Central Electoral Commission has estimated that some 20 million voters may take part in the various elections. ¶3. (SBU) The parliamentary elections will further cement the position of the four State Duma parties, which are all registered to compete in all nine regions. The only non-State Duma party to successfully register was the Patriots of Russia in Khakassia, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, and Volgograd. As non-Duma parties, Patriots of Russia and Yabloko were required to collect signatures or pay a pledge fee in order to register for the elections -- an arduous and expensive process that Yabloko head Sergey Mitrokhin told us they could not afford. Yabloko Deputy Head Sergey Ivanenko told press in January that his party would limit its ambitions to municipal elections, where "the Kremlin's hand has not yet reached." Yabloko was denied registration in Tomsk and Tver city elections and had difficulties registering in St. Petersburg, but successfully registered in Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and a few towns in Moscow Region. United Russia Expected To Win Big -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Public Opinion Fund (FOM) predicted February 25 that United Russia would receive an absolute majority of 53-58 percent in Arkhangelsk, Bryansk, Khakassia, and Volgograd regional elections. In Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, and Tatarstan the party is expected to receive even more. The Communists, FOM forecast, would come in second in all seven of those regions. Just Russia and LDPR are fighting for third place in all nine regions. Vladimir and Nenets Autonomous Region, the only two of the nine regions where United Russia does not hold a majority now, are expected to be closer races. According to FOM, the Communists might take enough seats "to slightly change the situation" in Volgograd, Vladimir, and Bryansk. LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovskiy expressed optimism that his party would win seats in all regions, with the strongest showing in Bryansk and Nenets Autonomous Region. ¶5. (SBU) However, United Russia's notoriously strong discipline has frayed in the regions as party infighting has become public. In Murmansk, Governor Yuriy Evdokimov opposed the regional party branch's support for the current mayor of the regional capital. In Nevinnomyssk, the regional branch refused to support the current United Russia mayor's re-election in favor of an opponent. Party membership also has lost its cachet among some candidates who have opted to run without the party's name attached. The mayor of Smolensk recently left the party, and in Chelyabinsk three United Russia candidates filed as independents just before the mid-January registration deadline. Even State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov's son, Dmitriy Gryzlov, is running as a self-nominated (independent) candidate in St. Petersburg district administration elections. MOSCOW 00000489 002 OF 004 Communists Expect Electoral Gains, Fraud -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Communist Party (KPRF) has campaigned vigorously to attract protest votes against the ruling regime in what it contends is a referendum on anti-crisis measures. KPRF Deputy Chair Ivan Melnikov told Kommersant on February 25 that he expected KPRF to win at least 20 percent of the vote in Bryansk, Vladimir, Volgograd, and Khakassia. Communist leader Gennadiy Zyuganov has traveled extensively in February to rally supporters, with recent visits to Bryansk and Tatarstan. ¶7. (SBU) Melnikov has repeatedly told press that he expected widespread electoral fraud to mask the Communists' true gains at the polls on March 1 (Ref A). To detect such fraud, Melnikov announced that KPRF would conduct a parallel electronic accounting of vote results. Anticipating that the government would falsify vote results, the Communists have applied preemptively for protest permits in all nine regions should they deem the elections unfair. Just Russia Hopes to Thwart Communist Gains -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Seconding the Communists' assessment, Golos political scientist Aleksandr Kynaev told Kommersant, "there is growing discontent" and "people will not vote for a party but for the general attitude toward the system. This will be a protest." In an effort to siphon votes from the Communists to a left-leaning pro-Kremlin party, Just Russia has deployed party leader Sergey Mironov in February to rally support in Volgograd, Bryansk, Arkhangelsk, and Vladimir. Mironov told press in Volgograd that he expects to win seats in every regional parliament due to an increase in support for leftist ideals during the crisis. However, a January 14-25 poll by the Public Opinion Fund (FOM) indicated that Just Russia risks not passing the electoral threshold in all nine regional elections. Thresholds and Registration -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Election procedures vary from region to region, and regional parliaments can be elected either by proportional representation or by a mixed electoral system. Kabardino-Balkaria and Nenets Autonomous Region use only proportional representation, so only parties will run and deputies will be selected from party lists according to the results. The other seven regions will use a mixed electoral system, with half of the deputies elected from party lists and half as single-mandate candidates (who may be party members or independent candidates). The passing threshold to win seats has been raised in eight regions from 5 to 7 percent; in Khakassia it remains 5 percent. Law demands that each parliament include at least two parties, so that even if only one party reaches the threshold then the party with the second-most votes will win a seat. (Note: This occurred in Kemerovo Region's October elections, which allotted a single token seat to Just Russia despite its not passing the threshold.) "Locomotives" Again Top Party Lists -------------- ¶10. (SBU) During regional campaigns, political parties traditionally top their candidate lists with heads of regions and federal or regional party leaders. These top-level functionaries, dubbed "locomotives," as a rule do not give up their existing jobs to join the parliaments. They are involved in the campaigns in hope that their authority and popularity will help their respective parties to win. In regional campaigns, United Russia usually tops its party lists with governors and mayors of the regional capitals. The Communists and LDPR appoint their most popular federal and regional leaders to top their lists. ¶11. (SBU) Locomotives in March elections include Kabardino-Balkaria President Arsen Kanokov atop the United Russia list, and LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovskiy leading the list in Volgograd and Khakassia. Other locomotives in Khakassia will be Republic Head Viktor Zimin for United Russia and Patriots of Russia national leader Gennadiy Semigin. Vladimir mayor Aleksandr Ryabkov heads the United Russia list in that region's parliamentary elections. Internet and SMS Voting Experiments -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Central Election Commission head Vladimir Churov MOSCOW 00000489 003 OF 004 revealed that the internet voting experiment, first unveiled in Tula Region during the October elections, will be used again in "some remote areas" of Vladimir Region. Also in Vladimir Region, SMS (text message) voting will receive its first trial. Internet and SMS voting experiments will run parallel to the actual elections, and votes cast in the experiments will not count toward official vote tallies. Regional Parliamentary Breakdowns -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The following is a breakdown of regional duma elections: -- Tatarstan (100 seats): Only the four State Duma parties received registration, and United Russia is widely expected to maintain its strong majority in the regional duma where it currently holds 72 seats. The Communists have alleged widespread campaign violations by United Russia in Tatarstan, and KPRF Deputy Nikolai Ryabov demanded that the regional electoral commission head resign. LDPR head Vladimir Zhirinovskiy also called for the electoral commission's resignation after claiming that it hindered his campaign. According to a FOM poll in late January, United Russia led the race and could win up to 70 percent of the votes, while Just Russia and LDPR risk not passing the 7-percent threshold. The Communists were poised to win 10 percent. -- Volgograd (38 seats): United Russia city officials have conceded that the Communists likely would receive a boost of up to 5 percent in the election (Ref B). The Communists have accused United Russia of illegal electioneering in Volgograd, where a local municipality reportedly paid for and distributed children's gifts bearing the United Russia logo. United Russia holds 20 seats currently, and leaders of Just Russia (which holds none) told us they hope toQin seats in the next parliament. -- Karachayevo-Cherkessiya (73 seats): The four State Duma parties and Patriots of Russia received registration to appear on the ballot. United Russia, which holds 45 seats, is expected to win in a landslide. Local election officials told us they expect a large turnout of around 80 percent (up from 60 percent for national elections in the region) because voters will elect local governments in addition to the regional parliament. Mukhamed Cherkesov from Adygea Khasa (a Circassian diaspora NGO) also told us in December that his organization will do what it can to make sure ethnic Cherkessk "get out the vote" and that he would try to enlist several successful Cherkessk businessmen to help (Ref C). -- Kabardino-Balkaria (72 seats): The republic has decreased the number of regional deputies in its next parliament from 110 to 72. In the last regional election in December 2003, United Russia received 71 percent of the vote, KPRF received 9 percent and the Agrarian Party (which recently merged with United Russia) also received 9 percent. United Russia is expected to maintain its overwhelming majority. -- Khakassia (75 seats): Patriots of Russia received its registration only after an appeal to the Central Election Commission. The region's current parliament comprises a fractious membership: in addition to the State Duma parties, the so-called "Khakassia Bloc" holds 19 seats and independents hold 4 seats. However, blocs will not be on the ballot and could result only if non-party single-mandate candidates joined together. -- Bryansk (60 seats): KPRF leader Gennadiy Zyuganov predicted in January that the Communists would get the upper hand over United Russia in Bryansk, but observers have predicted they will win no more than 25 percent. United Russia is expected to win by a large margin, but the party took no chances in deploying State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov on February 18 to bolster party efforts there (Ref D). -- Vladimir (38 seats): The Communists registered their party list only with the intervention of the Central Election Commission. In another controversy, Just Russia members Galina Esyakova and Viktor Shohrin accused State Duma deputy Anton Belyakov of selling positions after they did not make their party's list. Although United Russia (with 18 seats) does not hold a majority of seats in the current parliament, and the Communists traditionally have been strong in Vladimir, experts expect United Russia to win a majority on March 1. -- Nenets Autonomous Region (11 seats): In one of the more unpredictable elections, the region has decreased the number of deputies in its next parliament from 18 to 11. United MOSCOW 00000489 004 OF 004 Russia does not hold a majority of seats in the current parliament, and the recent sacking of Governor Valeriy Potapenko may hamper the party's efforts to achieve one. United Russia's Artur Chilingarov told Kommersant February 26 that prior to the change of governors his party was poised to win more than 60 percent of the vote; "now," he despaired, "everything has fallen." Nonetheless, despite an active LDPR campaign and strong Communist support in the region, United Russia is expected to win the most votes if not a majority. -- Arkhangelsk (62 seats): Patriots of Russia were denied registration in the regional election, and harassment of citizens who signed electoral petitions has been reported. Local Elections -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Mayoral elections will be held in Chita, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Blagoveshchensk, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Smolensk, Chelyabinsk, Birobidzhan, and Anadyr. City parliaments and administrations will be elected in Ulan-Ude, Khabarovsk, Chita, Bryansk, Vologda, Murmansk, Penza, Yekaterinburg, Tver, Chelyabinsk, Birobidzhan, and Anadyr. Bryansk and Tver elections will use proportional representation; Ulan-Ude and Chita will run mixed systems; all others will use a first-past-the-post system. See Ref E for details on elections to be held in the Urals Federal District. Comment -------------- ¶15. (SBU) March 1 elections will not threaten United Russia's tight grasp on regional dominance. However, the evident fraying of party discipline and Moscow's exertions to maintain control demonstrate increased concern that the economic crisis will turn political. Acknowledgement by local United Russia officials that the Communists will make modest gains in some regions, the deployment of pro-Kremlin leaders and electoral "advisors" to the regions in theQun-up to the election, and the decision by some candidates to eschew the party brand indicate that United Russia's cachet has tarnished. How the regime responds to electoral setbacks, including whether it continues to support governors unable to muster an adequate voter turnout, will provide an important insight into future anti-crisis tactics in the regions. BEYRLE